We all want to get through security checkpoints as swiftly as possible, but like with anything else, hiccups do occur. With the busy holiday travel season looming ahead, travelers might be even more distracted, leading to longer lines and delays. But according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), there are ways to prevent these missteps and keep security moving smoothly—and quickly. In fact, the agency says there are a few things you’re forgetting to do that you really “need to remember.”
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“People seem to forget some of the more common and routine steps that they need to take when packing for a flight or when they are going through a checkpoint, perhaps because they’re focused on being at their destination and not focusing on what needs to happen before getting there,” TSA officer Christopher Kirchein of John F. Kennedy International Airport said in a Nov. 14 press release.
Specifically, TSA officers notice travelers neglect to remove weapons (knives in particular) from their bags before going through security.
“Passengers forget that knives and other weapons are not allowed through our checkpoints. It’s shocking to see so many people with knives,” TSA officer Aisha Hicks of Philadelphia International Airport added in the release. “Weapons of any kind are prohibited through a TSA checkpoint.”
But beyond weapons and firearms—the latter of which must be secured in a locked hard-sided case, declared at the airline counter, and stowed with checked baggage—travelers also forget about seemingly simple rules, TSA said. This includes adhering to guidelines about liquids and even bringing the proper identification. (The agency also flagged impending REAL ID regulations, which will go into effect next spring. By May 7, 2025, all passengers will need a REAL ID-complaint driver’s license to travel through security checkpoints.)
In addition, TSA officers reminded passengers to remove everything from their pockets, even if it seems insignificant.
“Remember when TSA officers remind you to remove everything from your pockets that it does not only mean metallic items such as keys and mobile phones, but it means everything, including non-metallic items such as tissues, lip balm, breath mints, etc.,” the press release reads.
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Removing your shoes is also a must (unless you have TSA PreCheck). With this in mind, the agency said, “It’s probably a good idea to wear socks.”
However, those who “appear 12 and under or 75 and older” actually don’t need to take off their shoes or jacket. Children under 12 are also allowed in the PreCheck lane if they’re traveling with a parent who has PreCheck on their boarding pass, and those up to age 18 can use the expedited lane if they are on the same airline reservation as their parent.
You can bring your necessary medications, but TSA reminded passengers to alert an officer when traveling with a liquid form “so it can be screened separately.”
Even if you feel like you know the rules and regulations like the back of your hand, TSA officers stressed the importance of following instructions to make the overall security process smoother.
“Travelers sometimes ignore the advice that we give them,” TeaNeisha Barker, a TSA Uniformed Advisor, said in yesterday’s release. “We are providing guidance so that they get through the checkpoint as simply and conveniently as possible. Not every airport has the same technology, so listen to the guidance we are offering.”